Samuel B. Watson, a senior at Hillcrest High School, recently received some fantastic news: He earned a perfect composite score of 36 on a recent ACT exam.
Nationally, while the actual number of students earning a composite score of 36 varies from year to year, roughly one-tenth of one percent receive a top score. Among test takers in the high school graduating class of 2010, only 588 of nearly 1.6 million students earned a composite score of 36.
The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take the ACT’s optional Writing Test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.
In a letter recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT CWO Jon Whitmore said, “While test scores are just one of the many criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT score should prove helpful as your pursue your educational and career goals.”
All major U.S. colleges accept ACT test scores and exceptional scores of 36 provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.
Watson was also named a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist in September 2010 and will hear later this spring on his finalist status. Samuel is part of the Advanced Placement and Honors Program at Hillcrest High and plans to attend Brigham Young University next fall.
